Fence-picket fastener.



Nu. 642,053. Patented ian. 23, I900.

S. J. REA.

FENCE PIGKET FASTENER.

(Application filed Jan. 28, 1899.)

No Model.)

SAMUEL J. REA, OF DE GRAFF, OHIO.

FENCE-PICKET FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 642,053, dated January 23, 1900.

Application filed January 28, 1899- Serial No. 703,724. (No model.) I

To (NZ 2071,0711 zit 'ntay concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. REA, a resident of De Graff, in the county of Logan and State of Ohio, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Picket Fasteners; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to wire fences and the like, and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient device for conveniently securing together a picket and wire by a single manipulation.

The invention consists in the construction herein described and pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a broken perspective showing a line-wire and picket fastened together by the improved fastener. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the fastener, and Fig. 3 is a perspective of a fastener before it is tightened upon the picket. Fig. 4 is a similar view, but showing a twist in the body of the fastener.

Numeral 1 denotes a picket or like object, and 2 a wire-as, for example, a line-wire of a fence.

Every style of fence, trellis, or other structure comprising wires and transversely-disposed pickets or cross-bars is contemplated; but the improvement is particularly applicable to wire fences having parallel wires stretched between posts and secured intermediate the posts to perpendicular pickets or bars.

3 denotes the improved wire-fastener, made of a single piece of annealed steel or other wire and preferably galvanized.

4, and 5 denote wire embracing hooks formed on the outer ends of the arms 6 and 7 of the fastener, which hooks are oppositely turned for a purpose to be explained. The arms are joined by the wire portion 8, containing a loop 9, adapted to be seized by pliers or other tool.

Obviously the article could be completed in the shop in either of the forms shown in Figs. 3 and 4, or it could be partially formed and finally completed contiguous a picket.

In using the fastener a line-wire and picket are put in suitable contiguity and the fastener passed about the picket from the side opposite the wire and the hooks engaged with the wire one from above and the other from below, as required by their opposite situation. The loop 9 is then grasped by any suitable tool and twisted, with the effect to contract the fastener and draw the wire and picket together. Either hook may be placed above the line-wire provided the other he applied from below; but the twisting action applied to the loop should be so directed as to press what may be called the hook-shank 4 or 5 upon the wire to avoid opening the hooks. Thus, as represented, the loop 9 was twisted by a movement toward the left, as indicatedywith the effect to press hook-shank 4: downwardly and the hook-shank 5 upwardly against the wire. An opposite movement in effecting the fasteningloop twist in the case illustrated would open the hooks and defeat the object desired.

From the foregoing it is obvious that if both hooks embraced the wire from the same side one of them would be opened if the fastener were held on the line-wire, whatever the direction of the twisting.

It is not necessary that the hooks be closed nor that they surround more than half the circumference of the wire, and the fastener will operate with hooks having a bend even less than a semicircumference of the linewire, and such a fastener-having also the other features specified can be easily applied and having been simply applied to surround the picket and hook onto the wire can be made to securely bind the picket and wire by a single manipulation of the initially-formed loop.

I am aware that picket-fasteners have been provided with oppositely-turned hooks, said fasteners being secured in holes in the posts. This method of securing the fasteners precludes effecting the operation by twisting and does not permit rapid application. I am also aware that fasteners each comprising a loop with two hooks both bent in the same direction and closed on the line-wire and adapted to receive a picket thrust endwise into said loop have been proposed and that such had an eye or twist for tightening the fastener on the picket. My improved fastener is more easily applicable to a picket and line-wire, since it has simply to be placed about a picket, so that the open hooks engage the line-wire,

and then tightened by twisting. As the open hooks are oppositely turned, they may be placed with either side up, and no care in this respect is required, provided that the subsequent twisting is in a direction adapted to draw or force the shank of the hooks rather than their points upon the line-wire, whereby the hooks might be injured or practically destroyed by the straightening of the wire.

It should be understood that the main loop of the fastener when first placed about a picket and upon the wire is considerably larger than the picket and is therefore easily applicable thereto. The operation of twisting reduces its size, so that it embraces the picket. The advantage of the opposite turn of the hooks relates to maintaining their form during this operation of reducing the size of the loop or fastener, as well as to convenience in manipulation, because of the indiference as to which side of the fastener is placed uppermost. Obviously the opposite turn of the hooks enables each to resist for itself and for tightening of the its fellow a vertical movement up or down, as the case may be. It is also obvious that the subsidiary loop 9 furnishes a convenient handle for manipulating the fastener and for twisting it, as in a prior construction.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is- In combination with apicket and cross-bar, a picket-fastener comprising the arms provided with oppositely turned open hooks adapted to embrace the cross-bar, the wire joining the hooks having a loop, said loop being formed by twisting the wire in a direction opposite the bend of the hooks, whereby the device will not afiect the hooks.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, SAMUEL J. REA. Witnesses:

H. D. CRETCHER, J OHN WEIDINGER. 

